If you live in a big city, you might be seeing some billboards promoting CW's new fall action drama Nikita, prominently featuring star Maggie Q. In Los Angeles, they're everywhere. The network's marketing department knows exactly what they've got to work with: legs and guns and legs and guns.
However, it appears that the provocative campaign has been deemed a little too risque for some markets -- particularly the ad featuring Maggie Q seated and wearing a sexy leather number (and to me, looking a bit like Psylocke from X-Men): CW's 'Nikita' ads too sexy?
L.A. shopping center the Grove, for example, turned down the ad featuring Maggie Q seated and wearing a leather outfit. Locales in Chicago and New York also passed on the image.I find it funny that this ad is considered less appropriate than the one with Maggie in the red dress, flashing just a little less leg, and prominently displaying a huge-ass gun. Maybe it's the extra leg? The tattoo? The leather? Whatever. You've got my attention, Nikita.
In those cases, outlets including the Grove were fine with a replacement ad featuring the actress in a long red dress and brandishing a machine gun.
But even that replacement ad triggered some concerns. In Culver City, the machine gun ad wasn't welcome, particularly on billboards facing the 405 Freeway. In other parts of Los Angeles, the ad of "Nikita" in the chair was approved -- except on billboards located near schools and churches.
In Santa Monica, the newly reopened Santa Monica Place Mall initially turned down the "Nikita" ads -- but relented after discovering that shopping centers in other locales had given the greenlight.
